THE HYPE IS BUILDING…

Every summer, as the big movies approach, I always feel like the following summer won’t stack up. In 2012, we got the ultimate superhero team up as Marvel unleashed The Avengers. Christopher Nolan completed his legendary Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises. Spider-Man returned to the big screen with a completely new look. How would 2013 top that?

10. ALL YOU NEED IS KILL

Tom Cruise returns to science fiction after saving the world in 2012′s Oblivion. All You Need Is Kill is based on a novel of the same name by Hiroshi Sakurazaka with illustrations by Yoshitoshi ABe. Here is a brief plot description from Amazon.com:

“There’s one thing worse than dying. It’s coming back to do it again and again… When the alien Gitai invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many raw recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to find himself reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On the 158th iteration though, he sees something different, something out of place: the female soldier known as the Bitch of War. Is the Bitch the key to Keiji’s escape, or to his final death?”

9. GODZILLA

I loved Gareth Edwards ‘Monster’. Now he gets to make the mother of all monster movies (with respect to Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim.) Godzilla is THE monster. Hopefully they can erase the memory of Roland Emmerich’s 1998 adaptation starring… Mathew Broderick.

8. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Speaking of erasing bad memories… Rise of the Planet of the Apes was one of my favorite surprises of 2011. It was a brilliant reboot that made me forget all about Tim Burton’s attempt. This was Ceasar’s story and I loved his story. Andy Serkis gave us one of the best motion capture performances of all time. I can’t wait to see what the apes have planned for us in 2014.

7. FAST & FURIOUS 7

Rumor has it, Jason Statham will join the cast for the seventh installment as a villain. This time, Saw alum James Wan takes over for director Justin Lin. This series has seen unprecedented longevity and now boasts a cast that may rival The Expendables by Fast 9. Will see if a new director can keep things fresh for Dom and his team.

6. TRANSFORMERS 4

I loved the first Transformers but I really hated the sequel Revenge of the Fallen. The third installment was a return to form but now all bets are off. Michael Bay is currently redesigning Autobots and Decepticons. He’s bringing in an entirely new cast including Pain & Gain‘s Mark Walberg.

5. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDER

Marvel’s Cinematic Universe will certainly get a big boost when Captain America returns to the big screen. I say that because the film will feature many prominent members of S.H.E.I.L.D. The organization was one of the main ways Marvel connected their films from Phase One. S.H.I.E.L.D was absent from Iron Man 3 and more than likely won’t be a major part of Thor: The Dark World either. This may be the film that updates us on the universe as a whole as well as Captain America’s adjustment to the modern world.

Note: This isn’t technically a summer movie with an April release date but lets face it… It is.

4. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2

I enjoyed The Amazing Spider-Man. The reboot managed to retell Peter Parker’s origin story without feeling like a shot for shot remake. Andrew Garfield IS Spider-Man now. His next challenge? How about Jamie Foxx as Electro and Paul Giamatti as Rhino? Not too mention the first appearances of Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborn and his famous father Norman.

3. X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST

When Brett Ratner created X-Men: The Last Stand… He literally destroyed the series. Major characters were killed off and the whole thing felt like a rushed mess. When you do that, it’s pretty difficult to create a sequel. What did they do? They brought in Matthew Vaughn to create a prequel. The result was X-Men: First Class. A fantastic movie that reminded us that the X-Men franchise has a lot left to give.

I don’t think anyone saw Bryan Singer returning for the follow up. Regardless, the man who brought the X-Men to life before Ratner killed them all is back! Now we get to see mutants from the past and present in one giant movie. It may not be as big as The Avengers but this movie will definitely flex it’s Superhero muscle.

2. TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

I still can’t believe this movie is happening. I grew up with Ninja Turtles. I had the action figures, the bed sheets, the Halloween costumes… You name it. I absolutely love the movies as well. (The first two at least.) The thought of seeing the Turtles in a new live action movie with TODAY’S technology is thrilling to say the least. The child in me is smiling. I’ll be there on opening day.

1. GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Who are The Guardians of the Galaxy? I struggled putting this above Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles but it’s the unknown that intrigues me. What does Marvel have up it’s sleeve? No doubt this film will set the stage for The Avengers 2 and the villain Thanos. Big superhero movies are normally reserved for well known franchises. This is definitely a risk but I’m on board. I love the idea of a Marvel movie set in space with characters I know nothing about.

Author: Jason McKinnon+
I'm a professional editor working in television. I'm also passionate about screenwriting and completely addicted to movies. From blockbusters to short films, this blog is about the movies that inspire and the dedication it takes to create them.
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